In a case that has shocked Finland, a hacker who called himself an 'untouchable hacker god' has been found guilty of stealing and demanding ransom for 33,000 psychotherapy notes. The breach, targeting the private therapy provider Vastaamo, exposed the deepest secrets of vulnerable patients and led to what authorities describe as the country's biggest ever crime.
Among the victims was Tiina Parikka, a 62-year-old headteacher from Vantaa. She recalls the moment she opened an email demanding €200 in bitcoin or her therapy notes would be published. 'My heart was pounding. It was really difficult to breathe. I remember lying down on the bed and telling my spouse, “I think I’m going to have a heart attack,”' she said.
The stolen records included conversations with therapists detailing patients' most intimate thoughts. Parikka had used Vastaamo after decades of stress from caring for disabled children and a breakdown. She described the violation as 'a public rape.' Across Finland, families and communities were affected as the news spread that someone's private therapy sessions could be made public.
The hacker's arrest and conviction brought some closure, but the trauma lingers. Police initially dismissed Parikka's call as non-urgent, reflecting the scale of the shock. The case has prompted national debate about data security in healthcare and the psychological impact of such breaches on victims.
